Led Astray by Kelley Armstrong

Title: Led Astray: The Best of Kelley Armstrong
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Genre: Fantasy, Short Stories, Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Tachyon Publications (15th September 2015)
Souce: Publisher
Blurb:

With her signature twists and turns, New York Times best-selling author Kelley Armstrong (Otherworld, Cainsville, Darkest Powers, Age of Legends) always gives a fresh spin on city-dwelling vampires, werewolves, and zombies. She is equally exciting when traveling further afield, to a post-apocalyptic fortress, a superstitious village, a supernatural brothel, and even feudal Japan.

Here is the first time that urban fantasy, young adult, mystery, and crime author Kelley Armstrong has had her stories collected from Otherworld and beyond. From humorous to heart-stopping, and including two original tales, Led Astray showcases Armstrong at her versatile best.

Rating: ***** (5 stars)
Review:

LED ASTRAY by Kelley Armstrong is a new collection of twenty-three short stories. The stories feature new and familiar characters, as well as new and familiar worlds. This collection brings together some favourite short stories from previous volumes, as well as two new pieces.

I am a huge fan of Kelley Armstrong, and when I was offered the chance to read this collection I couldn’t help but say yes. I was not disappointed. Of course, there were a couple of stories that I didn’t enjoy as much as the others but on the whole I think Armstrong has pulled together some really fantastic short stories in this collection. There are stories set in new worlds, but there are also stories set in familiar worlds if you follow Armstrong’s series – there are stories based in her Darkness Rising universe, her Otherworld universe, her Cainsville universe, and her Age of Legends universe.

On the whole I really enjoyed reading the stories in LED ASTRAY. I did have two particular favourites: Bamboozled and V Plates, which for different reasons I just loved. I also really enjoyed Learning Curve and The List. The stories Armstrong set in her Cainsville universe were all really enjoyable, as they all gave a bit more insight into the world – there were two in particular that I think have added to my understanding of certain characters, and the world itself. The stand-alone short stories contained some of the creepiest stories I’ve read in a while, but they also had some really great characters and cool plot twists that just kept me reading.

If you are a fan of Kelley Armstrong then you must get your hands on this book! I think it would be a great addition to your collection whatever series is your particular favourite. If you’ve never read any of Kelley Armstrong’s fiction before – and why have you not?! – then this could be a great place for you to start – just be aware that there may be some minor spoilers for you. I am so pleased that I managed to get an ARC of this book, and I will definitely be buying my own hard copy.